After a model by Giambologna (1529-1608) Italian, Florence, 17th/ 18th century

with Silbernagl Volker srl, Milan;
private collection, Milan, Italy

Overall the condition of the bronze is good. There is wear and dirt tot the surface consistent with age. The lacquer patina has worn off to a large extent.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Inspired by classical sculptures of sacrificial bulls, Giambologna's Pacing Bull was probably conceived as a pendant to the sculptor's Pacing Horse. According to Dimitrios Zikos, it is likely that the model is the same as the bronze bull recorded on 14th March 1588 as being in the Galleria del Casino di San Marco (Paolozzi Strozzi and Zikos, op. cit. p. 242, no. 45). The attribution to Giambologna is confirmed through comparison with the bull in his Lion attacking a bull and by the explicit mention in the 1609 posthumous inventory of the collector Benedetto Gondi to 'a wax bull by the hand of the said (Giambologna)' (Avery, op. cit. p. 56).

The model was extremely popular in the 17th century, as is highlighted by its appearace on a table in Willem van Haecht's painting of the gallery of Cornelis van der Geest. It exists in two principal variants, the first, exemplified by a bronze in the Bargello and a cast sold in these rooms on 5^th July 2000, lot 33, is of heavier build than the second, with larger dewlap and more pronounced forelocks. The present bronze, with its attractive warm brown patina, is cast after the rarer first variant.

RELATED LITERATURE
C. Avery, Giambologna. The Complete Sculpture, London, 1993, pp. 56-9; A. Radcliffe and C. Avery (eds.), Giambologna 1529-1608. Sculptor to the Medici, exhib. cat. Arts Council of Great Britain, London and Edinburgh, 1978, p. 192, no. 177; B. Paolozzi Strozzi and D. Zikos (eds.), Giambologna gli dei, gli eroi, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, 2006, p. 242, no. 45